Plug Loads

Plug loads refer to energy used by equipment that is plugged into an outlet. In an office, key plug loads include computer and monitors, printers, and copiers. Plug loads can average approximately 30% of electricity use in office settings, much of which can be attributed to parasitic loads.

Life Cycle Cost Savings

Life Cycle Costing (LCC) aims to quantify the financial impact of a product over its entire life cycle to assist consumers in making decisions that will save them money over the long term.

For most applications, Energy Star-qualified A/V equipment has the lowest life-cycle cost. An efficient product is cost effective when the energy costs saved over the life of the product exceed the additional upfront cost (if any) of the more efficient model. Energy Star considers both upfront costs and lifetime energy cost savings when setting required efficiency levels. Federal purchasers can assume that Energy Star-qualified products are life-cycle cost effective.

ENERGY STAR certified audio/video equipment is up to 50% more efficient than conventional models. Blu-Ray players that earn the ENERGY STAR label are, on average, 45% more efficient than conventional models.

Guiding Principles

Contributes to meeting The Guiding Principles for High Performance and Sustainable Buildings